Des Moines, Iowa: Teen, 13, in Critical Condition After E-Moto Crash, SUV Driver Arrested on OWI Charge

A 13-year-old boy is in critical condition after an SUV hit the electric mini bike he was riding in Des Moines on Sunday evening, October 25. Des Moines police say the teen was riding southbound on SE 19th Street just after 7 p.m. when the SUV turned northbound onto the street from Pleasant View Circle and collided with him, according to a release from Sgt. Paul Parizek reported by the Des Moines Register.

The teen was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to UnityPoint Blank Children's Hospital with critical injuries. Police have not released his name.

The arrest

Officers arrested the SUV driver for operating while intoxicated after they saw signs of impairment, the release said. WHO Radio and KCCI identified the driver as Jose Santiago Vasquez Machado, 39. The Register reported that he had an active arrest warrant from 2024 and faces additional charges for driving without a valid license and for misrepresenting his identity to officers.

What police found about the bike

Police found that the mini bike's factory specifications went past the state limits for an e-bike. Under the rules cited in the release, an e-bike must have a motor of 750 watts or less and a top speed of 28 mph. This bike should have been registered as a motor vehicle, and its rider would have needed to be properly licensed, WHO Radio reported. The bike also lacked front and rear lights, the Register reported.

KCCI reported on Tuesday, October 27 that Des Moines police are warning parents after the Sunday night crash. Police say the crash is still under investigation and that more information will be released as it becomes available.

A wider metro problem

The crash comes as cities across the Des Moines metro tighten rules on e-bikes. West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, Waukee, Ankeny and Clive have all created new regulations this year after an increase in injuries and complaints, the Register reported. UnityPoint Health counted more e-bike and e-scooter injuries in the first half of 2026 than in all of 2025. The new metro rules cover motor power, top speeds, the age of the rider and where the vehicles can be ridden.

For parents in Des Moines, the police findings in this case are the practical lesson. A machine sold as a bike can be classed as a motor vehicle when its motor and top speed pass the state limits, and a rider on the street at night needs lights and a helmet. The boy in Blank Children's Hospital had none of that protection when the SUV turned into his path.